Outboard motor units have been known in the past as apparatuses for providing propulsion force to boats and other waterborne vehicles, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-05-33779 (JP H05-33779 A).
FIG. 7 hereof shows the outboard motor unit disclosed in JP H05-33779 A.
An engine 102 covered by an engine cover 101 is provided to an upper part of the outboard motor unit 100, as shown in FIG. 7(a). The outboard motor unit 100 has a stern bracket 105 and is attached to a back end 104 of a waterborne vehicle 103 via the stern bracket 105. The engine 102 is supported by a mount case 106. An oil pan 107 is attached to an underside of the mount case 106. The internal structure of the oil pan 107 is described on the basis of FIG. 7(b).
With reference to FIG. 7(b), the oil strainer 109 is connected to the suction port 108 of an oil pump. The oil strainer 109 is attached to the mount case 106 via a supporting member 111.
The oil strainer 109 disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 5-33779 is integrally constructed from a strainer case 112 in which an element is housed, and an oil tube 113 for connecting the strainer case 112 and the suction port 108 of the oil pump. Therefore, the position of the strainer case 112 is fixed. It is necessary to newly prepare an oil strainer having an oil tube of a different length when the position of the strainer case 112 is changed as needed. The result is an increase in the replacement cost of oil strainers.